Business Briefs: Blockbuster to close Chattanooga store

Business Briefs: Blockbuster to close Chattanooga store

May 21st, 2013by Staff Reports in Business Around the Region

Blockbuster to close Chattanooga store

Blockbuster will close its last remaining store in Chattanooga next month, but the movie rental chain will continue to operate stores in Cleveland and Athens, Tenn. Blockbuster is selling its inventory of DVDs, games and videos at its Highway 58 store and will shutter the store on June 13, marking the end of its presence in metro Chattanooga.

At its peak in 2004, Blockbuster operated more than 9,000 stores nationwide, including seven in Chattanooga and North Georgia.

China may make new VW SUV

Chinese media reports suggest that Volkswagen will produce both versions of its new sports utility vehicle -- the CrossBlue and CrossBlue Coupe -- at a new plant being built in China. A pair of automotive news blogs -- InAutoNews and Indianautosblog -- said production of the two models will begin in a couple of years at a new VW factory in Changsha, Hunan Province, where 300,000 units will be made annually.

VW unveiled the CrossBlue at the Detroit auto show in January and said the new vehicle will be key to the American market. Chattanooga officials are trying to get Volkswagen to build the CrossBlue at the company's plant in the Enterprise South Industrial Park.